Expander for tubes and the like



March 31, G W|EDEKE EXPANDER FOR TUBES AND THE LIKE GUSTAV W/EDEKE.

Filed June 5, 1929 Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUSTAV WIEDEKE, OF'DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO GUSTAV WIEDEKE COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A COPARTNERSI-IIP CONSISTING OF GUSTAV WIEDEKE, OTTO WIEDEKE, AND ROBERT WIEDEKE EXPANDER FOR/TUBES AND THE LIKE i rollers when the head or collar Application'filed June 5, 1929.

This invention relates to an expander for tubes and the like.

One object of the invention is to provide an expanding device by meansof which a tube .may be properly expanded in tube sheets of various widths.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an expanding device having an adjustable head orcollar adapted to overhang I the expanding rollers and engage the end of a tube to properly position the rollers with relation to the tube sheet.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an expanding device in which the overhanging portion of the head or collar will be so constructed as to permit of the radial movement of the expanding rollers while the collar is in engagement with the end of the tube. v

A further object ofthe invention is to provide such an expanding device in which the adjustable head or collar will have grooves to receive rollers and in which these grooves will be properly alined with the respective is secured in adjusted positions on the frame. 1

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation of a tube expander embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1 taken through such a tube expander, with the mandrel partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectiontaken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4

is a transverse section taken on the line le-4t of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detall vlew of the frame of the expander; Fig. 6 is a detail view of the adjustable collar or head; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the expander showing the same equipped with a modified form of roller; and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the expander showing the same equipped with a modified form of adjustable head or collar.

Serial No. 368,707.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, with certain modifications thereof, but it will be understood that these embodiments have been chosen for the purpose of illustration only and that the device may take various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In that form here shown the expanding device comprises a frame or cage 10 adapted to be inserted in a tubular member of any suitable kind, such as the boiler tube 11 shown in Fig.2, and having a longitudinal bore to receive the tapered expanding mandrel 12. The inner portion of the frame is provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots 13 spaced apart circumferentially thereof and extending entirely through the wall thereof, and, in the present instance, arranged obliquely to the axis of the frame. The expanding rollers 14 are mounted in the rerespective slots for radial movement with relation to the frameand the outer portions of the slots are contracted in a well-known manner to limit the outward movement of the rollers. The inward movement of the rollers may be limited in any suitable manner to provent them from dropping out of the slots but, as here shown, the mandrel itself is relied upon for this purpose and is provided at its inner end, beyond the frame, with a stop, such as a nut 15, to prevent the same from being accidentally withdrawn from the frame. The outer portion of the frame, beyond the outer ends of the slots, is screw-threaded, as shown at .16.

An adjustable head or collar 17 is mounted on the outer portion ofthe frame and, as here shown, has a longitudinal bore, the outer portion of which is threaded to engage the threads on the portion 16 of the frame. The inner portion of the bore is slightly enlarged, as shown at 18, to receive the outer portion of the frame and the rollers carried thereby. This inner portion of the bore is of a diameter but slightly greater than the diameter of the outer portion of the frame and the inner end thereof will engage the projecting end of a tube in which the frame is mounted. The inner portion of the collar is thus adapted to overhang the expanding rollers and by adjusting the collar on the frame the inner end thereof may be so located with relation to the rollers that when the collar is in contact with the end of the tube the rollers will be properly positioned with relation to the tube sheet. T permit the radial or expanding movement of the rollers the overhanging portion of the collar has formed therein a series of longitudinal grooves 19 which are parallel with the rollers and each of which is preferably described on a radius somewhat greater than the radii of the rollers, so as to provide a clearance between the roller and the wall of the groove.

The collar may be retained in its adjusted poz-aitions on the frame in any suitable manner but preferably a set-screw 20 is provided for this purpose and the threaded portion 16 of the frame has a longitudinal groove 21 to receive the inner end of the set screw. This groove 21 is arranged parallel with the slots 13 and the rollers 14, so that when the setscrew is inserted in the groove to secure the collar in an adjusted position the internal grooves in the overhanging portion of the collar will be in radial alinement with the respective rollers.

\Vhen a tube is to be expanded the collar 17 is so adjusted with relation to the frame that when the inner end of the collar is in contact with the end of the tube the rollers will be properly positioned with relation to the tube sheet, which is shown at 22, in Fig. 2. Because of the relatively large adjustment which can be imparted to the collar it is obvious that the rollers may be utilized either for their full length or for a relatively short portion of their length, thereby accommodating the same to the thickness of the particular tube sheet. In installations where the end of the tube does not project beyond the outer face of the tube sheet the collar may abut against the tube sheet itself and, if desired, the inner end of the collar may be tapered or provided with a portion having a reduced external diameter, 1 as shown at 23 in Fig. 8, so that while the collar itself will contact with the tube sheet this reduced portion will extend into the tube opening in the tube sheet and contact with the end of the tube, thus properly positioning the tube with relation to the tube sheet as well as positioning the rollers with relation to the tube sheet and tube.

In installations where a double tube sheet is employed, as shown at 24: in Fig. 7 it is sometimes desirable to expand the tube separately in the two tube sheets. For this and other like purposes short rollers 25 may be substituted for the long rollers 1t and provided with extensions 26 of small diameter to properly position them within the slots. W'hen such rollers are employed it will be obvious that the tube may first be expanded in one tube sheet and the collar 17 then adjusted to properly position the rollers with relation to the other tube sheet and the tube expanded in the second tube sheet, or the rollers may be reversed in the slots without changing the adjustment of the collar and the tube then expanded in the second tube sheet. The collar is reversible on the threaded portion of the frame 10 and by mounting the collar in reverse position thereon and near the outer end thereof it will be apparent that the frame may be extended into the tube a much greater distance, thus enabling a tube to be expanded in an extra thick tube sheet or in widely separated double tube sheets by two operations.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, together with certain modifications thereof, I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an expander for tubes and the like, a frame having a longitudinal bore to receive a mandrel, having longitudinal slots spaced about the same and having a screw-threaded portion beyond the outer ends of said slots, rollers mounted in said slots for radial movement, a mandrel mounted in said bore to engage and actuate said rollers, a collar having an outer portion screw-threaded to engage the threads on said frame and having a recessed inner portion to overhang the outer portions of said rollers, the recessed portion of said collar being of an internal diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the slotted portion of said frame and having intern al grooves to receive the respective rollers when the latter are in their expanded positions, each of said grooves being described on a radius greater than the radii of said rollers. and means for securing said collar in adjusted positions on said frame.

2. In an expander for tubes and the like.

frame having a longitudinal bore to receive a mandrel, and having longitudinal slots spaced about the same, rollers mounted in said slots for radial movement, a mandrel mounted in said bore to engage and actuate said rollers, a collar having an outer portion adjustably mounted on that portion of said frame which lies beyond the outer ends of said rollers, said collar having a recessed innor portion to overhang the outer portions of said rollers, said recessed portion being of such an internal diameter that the inner end thereof may engage the end of a tube in which said frame is inserted, said collar having its inner end portion of reduced diameter and adapted to enter the opening in the tube sheet and engage the end of a tube in said tube sheet, and means for securing said collar in adjusted positions on said frame.

3. In an expander for tubes and the like, a frame having a longitudinal bore to receive a mandrel, having longitudinal slots spaced about the same and having a screw-threaded portion beyond the outer ends of said slots, rollers mounted in said slots for radial movement, a mandrel mounted in said bore to engage and actuate said rollers, a collar having an outer portion mounted on the threaded portion of said frame for adjustment toward and from said rollers and having a recessed inner portion to overhang the outer portions of said rollers, said recessed portion being of such an internal diameter that the inner end of said collar may engage the end of a tube in which said frame is inserted and position said rollers with relation to said tube, and means for retaining said collar in adjusted positions on said frame.

4. In an expander for tubes and the like, a frame having a longitudinal bore to receive a mandrel, having longitudinal slots spaced about the same and having a screwthreaded portion beyond the outer ends of said slots, rollers mounted in said slots for radial movement, a mandrel mounted in said bore to engage and actuate said rollers, a collar having an outer portion mounted on the threaded portion of said frame for adjustment toward and from said rollers and having a recessed inner portion to overhang the outer portions of said rollers, the recessed portion of said collar being of an internal diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the slotted portion of said frame, adapted to engage the end of the tube in which said frame is inserted and having internal grooves to receive the respective rollers when the lat ter are in their extended positions, and means for retaining said collar in adjusted positions on said frame.

5. In an expander for tubes and the like, a frame having a longitudinalbore to receive a mandrel, having longitudinal slots spaced about the same and having a screwthreaded portion beyond the outer ends of said slots, rollers mounted in said slots for radial movement, a mandrel mounted in said bore to engage and actuate said rollers, a collar having an outer portion mounted on the threaded portion of said frame for adjustment toward and from said rollers and having a recessed inner portion to overhang the outer portions of said rollers, the re cessed portion of said collar being of an internal diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the slotted portion of said frame,

adapted to engage the end of the tube in which said frame is-inserted and having internal grooves to receive the respective roll ers when the latter are in their extended positions, and means: for positioning said grooves with relation to said rollers and for securing said collar in adjusted positions on said frame.

6. In an expander for tubes and the like, aframe having a longitudinal bore to receive a mandrel and having longitudinal slots spaced about the same and arranged obliquely to the axis thereof, said frame also having a screw-threaded portion beyond the outer ends of said slots, rollers mounted in said slots for radial movement, a mandrel mounted in said bore to engage and actuate said rollers, .a collar having an outer portion mounted on the screw-threaded portion of said frame for adjustment toward and from said rollers and having a recessed inner portion to overhang the outer portions of said rollers, the recessed portion of said collar being of an internal diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the slotted portion of said frame, adapted to engage the end of the tube in which said frame is mounted and having internal grooves arranged parallel with said slots to receive the respective rollers when the latter are in their extended positions, the threaded portion of said frame having a groove arranged parallel with said slots, and a set-screw carried by said collar and adapted to enter the last-mentioned groove to position the grooves in said collar in radial alinement with the respective rollers. V

7. In an expander for tubes and the like, a frame having a longitudinal bore to receive a mandrel and having longitudinal slots spaced about the same, rollers mounted in said slots for radial-movement, a mandrel mounted in said bore to engage and actuate said rollers, a collar having an outer portion mounted on that portion of said frame which lies beyond the outer ends ofsaid rollers for adjustment toward and from said rollers, said collar having a recessed inner portion to overhang the outer portions of said rollers, said recessed portion being of such an internal diameter that the inner end thereof may enti gage the end of a tube in which said frame is inserted and position said rollers with relation to said tube, and means for retaining said collar in adjusted positions on said frame.

8. In an expander for tubes and the like, 7 .a frame having a longitudinal bore to receive a mandrel and having longitudinal slots spaced about the same, rollers mounted in said slots for radial movement, a mandrel mounted in said bore to engage and actuate said rollers, a collar having an outer portion mounted on that portion of said frame which lies beyond the outer ends of said rollers for ad ustment toward and from said rollers, said collar having a recessed inner portion to overhang the outer portions of said rollers, said recessed portion being of such an internal diameter that the inner end thereof may engage the end of a tube in which said frame is inserted and position said rollers with relation to said tube, and having internal grooves arranged parallel with said rollers, and means to retain said collar in adjusted positions on said frame, said retaining means and said frame having cooperating parts to properly position said grooves with relation to said rollers.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature hereto.

GUSTAV VVIEDEKE. 

